Punky Brewster-ThunderCats: Punks of Thunder
by Heart of the Demons
Summary: A magical mishap by Glomer transports Punky and friends into the world of the ThunderCats. It's the adventure of a lifetime as Punky and her crew get to know the ThunderCats, navigate their way through Third Earth, and get into trouble of all kinds, especially when it comes to the Mutants and Mumm-Ra. Mumm-Ra learns a secret about Glomer that could change everything.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes

1) I came up with this idea back in February 2009 after being inspired by an episode of the pop-culture parody series _Robot Chicken_ with Lion-O and Punky in separate sketches, though what I'm writing won't be anything at all like those sketches.

2) This tale is set during the animated version of the live-action_ Punky Brewster_ series and in the middle of the first season of the classic _ThunderCats_ series. If such a crossover existed back in 1986 or 1987 while both shows were still on the air, it would be either a TV movie or a comic-book miniseries.

3) The character of Cherie will have her last name changed to "Benson" instead of "Johnson" so I can honor the actress who played her, whose name is _really_ Cherie Johnson! *squeals with delight* The version of her character I'm writing will be based on the animated Cherie cel that currently exists on the Internet.

4) I'm taking slight liberties with _ThunderCats_' canon, such as Lion-O's anointment trials never taking place. So Lion-O will struggle with his Lord of the ThunderCats title until he's fully confident he can lead his people to victory. The ThunderCats in my story will have fangs and fur as opposed to the normal teeth and fair skin they have on their show.

5) This is a story that'll be full of drama and hilarity. Anyone who's a fan of the 1980s (and especially if they're a _Punky Brewster_ or _ThunderCats_ fan) will definitely get a kick out of Punky and the ThunderCats joining forces. Placing Punky and her friends in a violent atmosphere may be pretty ambitious of me, but I'm fine with it. I hope you will be, too.

PUNKS OF THUNDER: © 2013 Philip Gipson.

PUNKY BREWSTER and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and copyrighted by NBCUniversal, Inc. THUNDERCATS and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and copyrighted by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. and Ted Wolf.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

Chicago - the most populous city in the state of Illinois and in the American Midwest. It is in this city that we begin the tale of a very special little girl with short brown hair, sleeping soundly in her carriage-style bed in her prominently colorful room. Her name: Penelope "Punky" Brewster. Right by her side is her dog Brandon, a Golden Retriever whose nickname is "The Wonder Dog," sleeping within a customized doghouse. It was a Tuesday morning, and soon the sun would arise to greet the day. Punky had been through a lot over the years; since her parents were never there for her (her father left their family and her mother abandoned her at a shopping center), she had built a wall around herself so she would never again get hurt. It was a good thing that she had only Brandon to count on, for the bond between them had gotten strong. Throughout their hardships, it remained strong. Then, suddenly, they happened upon a vacant building they now resided in, which was managed by elderly photographer Henry Warnimont, who also had out a downtown photography studio. When he first encountered Punky, their relationship was rocky, mostly because Henry's wife's death had made him cynical and bitter. But, after he heard Punky's story, their relationship started to grow. Henry fostering a child had been met with skepticism from social workers who eventually sided with him, and Punky was temporarily placed into Fenster Hall, a place where orphaned kids like herself could be taken care of. She made friends there, but no matter how hard she tried, Punky just couldn't get Henry out of her head; it was like she and him had already become one. Soon afterwards, Henry had officially adopted Punky through court. Punky couldn't be any happier. The two were more alike than they realized, as their hearts needed healing from all the pain and suffering they'd endured in their lives. Now Punky, Henry, and Brandon behaved like a real family, despite getting on each other's nerves from time to time.

Another person who entered Punky's life was Glomer, a Glomley who came from Chaundoon, a city at the edge of the rainbow. Punky was riding her bicycle one day with Brandon tagging along, and they went to see a rainbow that, unbeknownst to them, also was a portal to Chaundoon. They then decided to head back home, but Glomer, with his peaked curiosity, ventured into the human world. By the time he caught up with Punky and Brandon, he startled the former, causing her to ruin her bike. He at first was uncomfortable around her, but seeing Punky offering friendship, he repaired her bike with his magic. It was the start of a beautiful friendship. Eventually Punky's other friends - Cherie Benson (whom Punky became fast friends with), rich girl Margaux Kramer, and geeky Allen Anderson - caught wind of Glomer's existence and joined Punky in keeping Glomer's existence a secret from everyone, including Henry. Suddenly, the portal to Chaundoon was closing, and Glomer immediately rushed back to his beloved city...only to arrive too late, as the portal had closed. This saddened Glomer, for he now regretted ever leaving Chaundoon. But Punky, true to her word, chose to adopt Glomer as her new friend; she wouldn't abandon him like her parents abandoned her. Likewise, Glomer wouldn't abandon Punky either, for the friendship he felt from her was now inside his heart, and it would remain with him for all of eternity should he ever return to Chaundoon.

The alarm clock on Punky's dresser went off at 7:00am, and the sun was slowly rising near Punky's window, which was shaded by a curtain of a happy-faced crescent moon and several stars. Punky herself was stirred awake by the alarm. She yawned, stretched out ler limbs, and scratched her back. She then got up from her bed, which went down from her movement, and went to turn off her alarm, and in her pajamas no less. She pulled up the moon curtain to reveal the rising sun. Brandon had also awakened, having yawned and stretched out his own limbs. It would be the start of a new day for them both. They both had eyes the color of brown.

"Good morning, Brandon," Punky said to her animal compatriot. "Are you ready and raring to go?" Brandon barked an enthusiastic yes. "Then let's go!" she declared happily as she and Brandon walked out the open door and into the kitchen for some breakfast. When they arrived, they were treated with such a sight. On the table was a large plate of cut, syrup-coated pancakes, bacon, and eggs with a glass of orange juice. On the floor, Brandon's bowl was filled with spliced watermelons and was accompanied by a glass bowl of water.

"Wow," whispered Punky, her eyes wide in amazement. She smelled the food on the plate and discovered it was freshly cooked. Now she really felt like eating breakfast. Before she sat down at the table, she noticed a familiar presence entering the kitchen. It was Henry, her foster father, in his pajamas. His hair was a mixture of blonde and grey, and his eyes were blue. He was smiling proudly.

"Good morning, Punky and Brandon," he greeted. "I hope you enjoy your meal."

Punky was stunned by his presence. She asked him, "Did you do all this?"

"Why, of course," answered Henry. "I've made sure that the food on your plate was nice and toasty warm."

Punky was at a loss for words. No way would Henry be able to make breakfast this fresh so quickly. It made absolutely no sense. What was really going on with him? Was it some kind of condition that he was keeping quiet about?

"Um, Punky? Punky, are you there?"

Henry's voice snapped Punky out of her reverie. "Oh, yeah, Henry. I'm here."

"Please, eat your breakfast. It's not getting any hotter."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Punky asked her foster father, to which he callously laughed.

"Yes, my dear," he replied. "I've never felt more better in my life."

"Okay, Henry. If you say so," Punky replied back, and she decided to drop the subject for now. She sat down and ate her breakfast while Brandon feasted on the watermelons.

"I hope you enjoy yourself today. Time waits for no one, you know," Henry advised his foster daughter in that same cheery manner, and he left her and Brandon alone. Soon after that, a green-eyed gopher-type creature magically appeared above Punky and Brandon. It was none other than Glomer himself.

"Hi, Glomer," greeted Punky in whispers to the small creature so he wouldn't be found out by Henry.

"Hi, Punky friend. What you be doing today?" the Glomley whispered back. Like all Glomleys, Glomer's speech pattern was limited. But, it didn't stop him from being there for Punky.

"I think something's going on with Henry," Punky replied. "He made all this food for me and Brandon in a nutshell. Nobody can produce food so quickly. Do you want some bacon?" She offered Glomer a piece of bacon.

"I no mind. Thank you," Glomer said and took the bacon from Punky. He chewed it all up rather quickly thanks to him being a magic user. The taste of it satisfied the little one, and he licked his lips. "Mmm," he said dreamily.

"Glad you enjoyed it," said Punky happily, but then she reverted back to her worried state. Henry's strange behavior baffled the young girl for some reason. She gazed at the living room, wondering what might have caused the behavior. As soon as she finished with her breakfast, she would have to ask her friends about Henry, but would wait until school was over. It never hurt to try, at least.

"Glomer, why don't we talk to Cherie, Margaux, and Allen about Henry after school?" she consulted her Glomley comrade. "They might provide us some clues about why he's acting all weird today."

Glomer asked, "Why? What wrong with Henry? Is he starting to grow long beard?"

"Haha! You silly Glomley," laughed Punky, then she got serious again. "No, it's not that. You should've seen the way he behaved toward me and Brandon. It was like he didn't have a care in the world about what would happen to him. He knows more than he's letting on, and it's definitely _not_ growing beards."

At those words, Glomer's curiosity was peaked. He agreed, "Okay, Punky friend. We talk to your friends later."

Punky nodded. "That's good to hear." Glomer smiled at his human friend.

"You bestest friend I ever met." He hugged Punky. Brandon was a little offended and whimpered sadly.

"Aw, Brandon," cooed Punky, patting Brandon on the head and making him feel better. "You and Glomer are _both_ my bestest friends." Now she was certain she made the right choice in telling her other friends about her foster father's odd behavior.

* * *

When school was done later on, Punky, her friends, Glomer, and Brandon were assembled at Punky's treehouse. They were debating the issue concerning what Henry had said to Punky during her breakfast. Punky had her hair tied in small pigtails and wore her usual, mismatched clothes (a purple sleeveless vest [which had a red heart on the left side] under a turquoise shirt and red sweater, blue jeans [one side rolled up and the other with a magenta scarf tied to her ankle], and mismatched shoes - one pink and the other yellow) while Cherie, a brown-eyed African American with her afro hair tied in a pigtail itself, wore a sleeveless peach shirt, fuschia jeans, and white shoes, Margaux, the third girl who had blond hair and blue eyes, wore two pink bows on her hair and had on a pink-and-white dress, white footies, and pink tap shoes, and Allen, the only boy in Punky's group with short, platinum blond hair and eyes the same as Margaux's, wore a brown vest underneath a white sweater, beige jeans, and red-and-gray sneakers. Noticably, Cherie wasn't wearing her headband and arm ring - a neutral decision on her part. Glomer and Brandon remained quiet, intently listening in on the kids' conversation.

Punky was the most concerned for Henry. "I just don't understand him. He didn't even bother to ask what I wanted. It's like...it's like he's a totally different person."

"Well, maybe he's just happy," surmised Cherie to Punky. "It could be because you're the constant joy in his life."

"Maybe he's just feeling lucky," said Allen in his usual geeky way.

"Or..." Margaux offered matter-of-factly, "...it could be because his memory is fading."

Punky merely scoffed at that remark. "No way. Henry's memory works just fine. You're just pulling my leg."

"He might be prone to having chest pain," deduced Cherie.

"He's probably turning half deaf and may require a hearing aid," Allen duly noted.

"Or a kidney transplant," added Punky.

"It's either those three or...or perhaps his time is coming," concluded Margaux bluntly.

Punky's, Allen's, Cherie's, Brandon's, and Glomer's eyes widened in surprise at Margaux's claim. Cherie snapped to Margaux, "Don't say such things like that!"

"Why not?" shot back Margaux. "Nobody lives forever, so it's best to make due with what happens now."

"I'd take Henry losing his memory, having a kidney transplant, or losing part of his hearing over him dying _any_ day," challenged Punky.

Margaux sighed at Punky's bravery. "You poor, deluded kid," she sullenly said. "You're too wrapped up in yourself to see the big picture." She stood up and looked Punky directly in the eye and smirked. "You know I'm right," she added in a low tone.

Allen couldn't stand for this, so he got up and made Margaux face him instead. "Margaux, that's enough," he spat. "You're scaring Punky with this nonsense about Henry dying."

Punky was in her thoughts, too distracted to notice Cherie joining in the eventual brawl between her, Margaux, and Allen that would break out. Punky didn't want to believe Margaux's words, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew the proud blonde was telling the truth. What if Henry's time really was coming? Punky imagined herself being sent to a new foster home, or worse, boarding school. Neither option to her would be the same as what she had with Henry. If he died, then Punky's world would surely fall apart; she had already lost so much in her life.

Coming out of her thoughts, she angrily shouted to Cherie, Allen, and Margaux, "That's enough! No more fighting!" Immediately, the three kids called it off, but not before Allen and Cherie gave Margaux a brief death glare.

"Peasants," Margaux spat, a word she always used around those who were beneath her.

Before they all could take their focus off of Henry, Punky informed Glomer of an idea that she hoped would work.

"Say, Glomer, whatya say to...I dunno...preventing one's death?"

"Punky friend, you not suggesting..." Glomer was shocked, as were Punky's friends; Brandon whimpered, fearing for his master/best friend.

Punky nodded. "Yep. I want you to save Henry's life."

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy now, Punky," implored Allen. "Do you really wanna mess with the forces of nature?"

"Y-you know I was only joking, right?" laughed Margaux nervously.

"Please reconsider, Punky. _Please!_" Cherie begged.

Punky's friends' pleas fell on deaf ears. All that was on her mind was saving Henry from "certain doom." "I know you can do it, Glomer," she encouraged the little creature. "Pretty please?"

Now Glomer felt torn between using common sense and doing what Punky asked. No one could raise the dead, and it especially applied to Glomer's kind. But if he didn't oblige his charge, then she would immediately shut him and everyone else in her life out. Having thought this through, Glomer made his choice at last.

"Okay, Punky friend," he proudly said. "I do it."

"No, Glomer!" cried Punky's friends frantically, but it was too late as Glomer held out his hands and zapped his magic sparkles across the backyard all the way to where Henry was. Unfortunately, due to Glomer's inexperience, the sparkles bounced upwards and ricocheted into the partly-cloudy sky. All of the sudden, dark clouds eclipsed the sky and the shining sun, and thunder and lightning flashed in front of the inhabitants of the treehouse.

_Uh-oh. I done a bad thing_, Glomer thought with despair.

"I-I think we better stay inside until the storm passes," Cherie said fearfully.

Punky could only stare at the floor in disbelief. She really thought her idea would work. She really believed she could stop Henry from leaving her all alone. And now, her plan had went straight out the window. Guilt overcoming her, she facepalmed with both hands and sobbed. "What've I done?" she asked no one, her voice muted and cracking.

Then, she and her crew felt a gust of wind blowing their way. Accompanying that was a glowing purple portal that appeared in the sky. It fired a spotlight-like beam towards Punky and friends, paralyzing them and forcing them to close their eyes, and it seemed their bodies would remain frozen as if they were stone statues.

"Hey! What's happening?!" shouted Margaux.

"I...I don't know, but we can't fight it off!" Allen shouted just as much.

"This beam is just too powerful for us!" Cherie called out. "We're all doomed!"

Punky, however, didn't share her friends' fear and basically resigned to whatever fate befell she and them. "This is it then," she whispered as tears fell from her eyes. "There's no escape for us. I'll never see Henry again. I've failed him."

Multi-colored lightning came out of the beam and engulfed the small crew, but it didn't so much as electrocute them. Instead, it carried them upwards into the portal. Everyone screamed (Brandon howled) as they were getting closer and closer to the portal. And then, they were inside it, absolutely nowhere to be seen. Afterwards, the beam, its portal, and the dark clouds evaporated, leaving the sun and partly-cloudly blue sky in their place. It was seemingly the last time that Punky Brewster had spent on Earth. A squadron of birds flew by as if nothing ever happened.

* * *

Henry, now dressed in a green shirt, dark-blue jeans, and black socks after taking a shower, put on his shoes and rushed outside to the backyard to see what the commotion was about. He thought he'd heard a storm brewing, and he looked up to the sky to see that there _was_ no storm; it died down so quickly then. He took notice of Punky and her friends not in her treehouse.

"Punky? Where are you?" he questioned to dead air. School was over for the day, so there was no reason for Punky to focus anymore on schoolwork other than homework. Henry shrugged it off as simply a field-trip assignment, but he wished that Punky had told him first. Nonetheless, he knew that Punky would take care of herself. He trusted her.

_What do you have to worry about, Henry? Punky's a strong person. You need to learn to let her make her own choices once in a while._

He smiled kindly and went back inside his apartment to go about his business, having gotten his thoughts in order. Punky would return to him on her own accord.

* * *

**Chapter Note: This first chapter only covers Punky's point of view, but, while not ignoring Punky and her friends, the ThunderCats' point of view is where things will kick into high gear.**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Third Earth - a world of mystery and intrigue. Its many places and its locals are either territorial or friendly. It is also home to a group of humanoid cat-like beings from the planet Thundera, which had been destroyed by a massive meteorite storm that struck the planet's reactors, forcing its people to flee for their lives by spaceship. These beings, who call themselves ThunderCats, are the last of their kind, for their oldest enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr, had wiped out almost every Thunderian in the fleet simply to obtain the ThunderCats' power source: the Eye of Thundera, a magical gem embedded in the hilt of the Sword of Omens, a weapon which can change from dagger form to its true longsword form and can only be wielded by a Lord of the ThunderCats. The ThunderCats were guided to Third Earth in their central spaceship by Jaga, an elderly ThunderCat who served as their acting leader and, in the past, wielded the Sword of Omens as much as Claudus, the ThunderCats' late lord, did. It was Claudus who gave the title of lord to Jaga after the former was stricken blind during a Mutant attack. Although Jaga did not survive the journey to their new home, the other ThunderCats did - through the use of suspension capsules that slowed down their aging.

The ship burned up when it reached Third Earth's atmosphere, and when its landing beams failed, the ship had immediately crashed into the planet, scattering everything, including the ThunderCats' suspension capsules. It was there that one certain capsule had malfunctioned, causing 12-year-old Lion-O - Claudus's son, the heir to the Thunderian throne, and a protege of Jaga's - to age mysteriously 10 years. His mind, however, did _not_ change, for mentally he was still a boy. It was up to his fellow ThunderCats to help him settle into his new ThunderCat Lord status, and to teach him how to use the Sword of Omens and the Eye of Thundera in combat as other ThunderCat Lords did. It hadn't been easy, for most of the time, he would ignore his duties altogether. But when it came down to it, he was a ThunderCat first and foremost, and he pulled through for his brethren more times than they could count. His role as lord demanded so much from him, but he would never back down from a challenge. He would continue to make himself and his friends proud. It was also his duty to protect the Sword of Omens as its bearer, to let it rule him as he ruled it.

The Mutants, led by Slithe, Jackalman, and Monkian, had followed the ThunderCats to their new home unfortunately, and the former group's goal of obtaining the Eye of Thundera had never changed. Adding to the ThunderCats' troubles was an ancient Egyptian sorcerer from when Third Earth was First Earth: Mumm-Ra, the Everliving. Mumm-Ra had come to know of the Eye of Thundera through the power of his black onyx pyramid and, like the Mutants, wanted the sacred gem for himself; this allowed him and the Mutants to ally with each other. But, they both overlooked one detail about the eye - it could never be used to serve evil because it belonged to itself just as much as a soul belonged to a body. Time and time again, Mumm-Ra or the Mutants had wrestled the eye from the ThunderCats to no avail. Another thing the antagonists had in common was that they wanted the ThunderCats dead: the Mutants, because they wanted to eliminate the last survivors of Thunderiankind, and Mumm-Ra, because the ThunderCats had disturbed his lifelong rest.

The ThunderCats faced opponents other than Mumm-Ra and the Mutants that were of the land-based and intergalactic areas like Queen Tartara of the Crystal Kingdom, Ratar-O (the Mutants' former leader), the Demolisher, Safari Joe, Spidera, the Berserkers, Grune the Destroyer (an ex-ThunderCat), Ta-She of the Doomgaze, and Captain Cracker. They had also gained allies in said areas as well, such as the Berbils (a team of robotic bears from the planet Ro-Bear), the Warrior Maidens, the Unicorn Keepers, the Bolkins, the Wollos, Mandora the Evil Chaser (an officer of the Intergalactic Control Force), Dr. Dometome, Wizz-Ra (an old enemy of Mumm-Ra's), and the Tuskas. Life would never truly be easy for the ThunderCats as long as there were those who were threatened by their existence, but they wouldn't have it any other way. They lived by a code that their ancestors created during Thundera's olden days that consisted of justice, truth, honor, and loyalty. And right now, in the afternoon, at the Cat's Lair - which had been constructed with the help of the Berbils - ThunderCats Panthro, Cheetara, and Tygra were monitoring Third Earth in the lair's control room. Needless to say, they were enjoying the peace while it lasted.

"This is a nice day, you guys," Panthro said with a small smile on his face as he monitored the Phosphorus Desert. "Nothing seems to be disrupting things so far."

"Mumm-Ra and the Mutants _have_ been pretty quiet lately, yet none of them can trust each other like we trust ourselves," offered Tygra, who kept an eye on the Firetree Forest, which was comprised of glowing, red-hot trees. "Surely one or the other is bound to make a move."

"No matter who strikes first, or no matter how many enemies we face," Cheetara added, and she was closely monitoring the Hunting Plains, "the ThunderCats will always be needed."

Panthro stood up and went over to Cheetara's side, offering his fellow ThunderCat a comforting hand for her left shoulder. "It's what we're here for," he said gently.

"Indeed," Tygra seconded, nodding his head. "We never run from danger."

Just then, Cheetara gasped and clutched her head in pain. Her sixth sense was going off. This alarmed her male comrades, Tygra getting up from his control board.

"What's wrong, Cheetara? Is it trouble?" the tiger ThunderCat asked.

"Yes," replied Cheetara strainingly, her eyes closed. "My sixth sense says something huge is coming that won't have anything with Mumm-Ra or the Mutants...and it's coming pretty fast."

As if on cue, the alarm systems suddenly went off, red and blue lights flashing all over the control room briefly. Panthro went back to his seat and clicked on a few buttons, and in popped a view of the Bottomless Chasm, the same place Mumm-Ra dumped Panthro into during the fiasco with the demon priest's evil Panthro clone. He and his fellows looked on as the sun and sky were unknowingly covered by dark clouds, thunder and lightning flashing afterwards.

"A storm happening in the middle of the day, and near the Bottomless Chasm no less," analyzed Panthro. "It must be spreading all over the planet. Let's get Lion-O, Snarf, and the ThunderKittens. They're still in the training room."

"That's a good idea," Cheetara agreed, having regained herself. Then she noticed something else about the storm - a glowing purple portal that shined a spotlike-style beam on the ground and deposited six small strangers secluded in shadow. The portal and the dark clouds vanished then, revealing the familiar sun and partly-cloudy blue sky in their place. "What in the name of Thundera...?" she uttered.

Panthro hit the enlarger button to get a better look at the six strangers that landed. What he, Cheetara, and Tygra saw were four kids (three Caucasian, one African American), a dog, and some kind of gopher, all lying unconscious from the portal that had engulfed them.

"Are you two seeing this?" he said bafflingly.

"We see it, but we don't believe it," responded Tygra.

"Those kids and their two pets must've been transported to Third Earth for a reason," pondered Cheetara. With determination, she said, "We have to bring Lion-O, the kittens, and Snarf here now."

"After that, we activate the ThunderTank and then bring our new guests to the lair," suggested Panthro. "If we're gonna do it..."

"...let's do it!" Tygra and Cheetara exclaimed proudly to their comrade. All three of them chorused as they raised their fists to the heavens, "ThunderCats, ho!"

* * *

In the training room, Lion-O, WilyKit, and WilyKat were participating in an exercise that Lion-O himself instigated Snarf, Lion-O's faithful companion, watched from the sidelines.

"Reowr. This routine Kat and Kit're coming up with better be worth it," the small creature murmured under his breath, being the worrywart he usually was.

Kit and Kat traded blows with Lion-O, who blocked them easily by crossing his fists in front of him. He retaliated by leaping to the wall and catapulting toward the twins, his arms held out. They wouldn't so easily be deterred, for they backflipped out of Lion-O's way. The ThunderCat Lord landed on his hands and feet cleverly. The ThunderKittens each used one arm to karate-chop Lion-O, and he barely dodged. Then Kit and Kat somersaulted towards their lord and performed an attack they they came up with - by clasping their fists together and, with wicked expressions, brought their fists down on Lion-O. The young lord held out his hands and clasped the twins' fists, and he was forced to go down on both knees because of the technique the twins performed. All the muscles in his body vibrated from the impact, but he was nevertheless unharmed. He, Kit, and Kat all panted from their training. The twins gave each other a thumbs up, happy that they were able to practice their new attack on Lion-O.

"That was something, you two," Lion-O said in admiration. "What do you call that technique?"

"Oh, we call it the ThunderSmack," Kat replied. "Lately Kit and I felt we needed a new approach in taking down our opponents."

"We're very proud of our new attack," said his sister pridefully. "The Mutants will be in for a nasty surprise next time we encounter them."

"Snarf snarf. Neither the Mutants or Mumm-Ra have been in action for a while. They provide us with plenty of trouble," Snarf cautioned the twins.

"We know that, Snarf," said Kat, balling his left fist. "Still, it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"I sure hope you'll be able to use your new attack when we're in battle," said Lion-O.

"Us too, Lion-O," Kit agreed.

The door to the training room automatically opened, and Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara arrived in the training room immediately following the ThunderKittens' new attack.

"Lion-O, we just picked up something strange happening near the Bottomless Chasm," Tygra informed.

"What is it?" the young lord inquired.

"It seemed like a storm happening out there," Panthro replied, "but then a portal opened up right in the middle and deposited six small strangers to the ground."

"By Jaga!" he exclaimed in surprise. What his fellow adult ThunderCats were telling him was weird, even for him.

"Exactly what we thought as well," chimed in Cheetara. "We don't know why they're on Third Earth, but my sixth sense told me something huge would eventually happen that could push us all to the limits of our abilities."

"Reowr. That _is_ strange," Snarf added. "Are you sure we should be anywhere near those people? Snarf snarf," he questioned.

Kit told him, "We have to, Snarf. We wouldn't be ThunderCats if we didn't uphold the Code of Thundera."

"Yes, WilyKit," the young lord agreed. "Whoever those kids and their pets are, they shouldn't be left to perish."

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Panthro said excitedly, and then added to the ThunderKittens, "Except _you_ two."

"Aw, man," Kat said sourly.

"Someone needs to guard the Cat's Lair, and there's no better reason you and Kit should keep the place in shape," reasoned Cheetara.

"Our moniters are already tuned in on the Bottomless Chasm. We'll call you the minute we reach our destination," Tygra put in.

Though they didn't like it, the twins had no choice but to comply. So they nodded a yes.

"Then it's settled," Lion-O said.

And so all the ThunderCats exited the training room. The door automatically closed afterwards.

* * *

The door to the sword chamber opened to reveal Lion-O entering, with the other ThunderCats waiting outside. Lion-O walked over to the stand where the Sword of Omens and Claw Shield, his birthrights, lay. A beautiful heavenly light shone down on both weapons. Lion-O picked them both up, gazing briefly at the two very weapons that the ThunderCat Lords before him wielded. He then sheathed the sword inside the shield and placed the shield on his left thigh, magnetizing it. With that out of the way, Lion-O headed out the way he came to join his fellows.

* * *

The Cat's Lair's right paw opened to reveal the ThunderTank. In the main seats were Tygra and Panthro. Inside the hatch, Lion-O and Cheetara were in their seats, and Snarf sat comfortably on the floor. The ThunderKittens were on either side of the tank holding their spaceboards. Panthro revved up the tank's engines, and off it went. The lair's drawbridge automatically extended, allowing the tank to roam freely to the Bottomless Chasm.

"I sense a great power coming from that smaller creature," Cheetara warned from her comrades.

"Do you know if he's dangerous?" asked Lion-O.

"It's hard to tell. I just know that he's not ordinary."

"We should be on our guard just in case," Snarf warned the others.

"Maybe so, but we should get to know more about him and his compatriots first," Tygra countered.

"Heck. If it all goes downhill, at least we have each other," stated Panthro.

"So true," agreed Lion-O. The rest of the ride to the Bottomless Chasm went in silence.

* * *

_It was a very special day in the Warimont household. Punky was prepared for it, as she never wore her usual mismatched clothing, but a sleeveless yellow shirt, purple sweatpants, copper socks, and dark-green shoes. It was a day she would never forget, and it was one that made her realize how lucky she was to have met Henry and be his foster daughter. Brandon barked happily for Punky, for he was just as lucky to have her in his life as Henry was in Punky's._

_"We've come so far, Brandon," Punky said blissfully, looking toward the ceiling with a glint of joy in her eyes. "Everything we've been through, from my parents to Henry to my friends to Glomer, has made us even stronger than we were before." She turned to her bestest friend in the whole wide world and continued, "Do you know something else? I'm the most lucky to have you as both a pet and a best friend. There's nothing that can change that. Nothing."_

_Brandon came over to Punky's side and licked her face in glee. Both of them were overcome with emotion. Henry came into the living room all dressed in a black tuxedo. Both Punky and Brandon gazed at the elder and saw on his face pure happiness. It had made them feel all warm inside._

_"You look stunning, Henry," said Punky as she smiled and her eyes cried tears of joy. She hugged Henry with all the love and tenderness she could muster, eyes closed gently._

_"Thank you, little one," Henry replied as he hugged Punky back. They released each other, and Punky wiped her tears. "Now then, are you ready to go to the Gala Banquet Hall for a special party?"_

_Punky smirked. "Definitely," she said. Brandon, seeing how close he, Henry, and Punky had gotten overtime, howled with joy and panted, his tongue sticking out. Punky petted him on the head and back. She was even more grateful that all three of them were a real family._

_Just then, a knock on the door was heard. "I'll get it," Henry said. He walked to the door and opened it. To his shock, two men clad in navy-blue armor underneath silver jumpsuits and wearing black shades were present - one an Asian with short black hair and the other a Caucasian with shoulder-length auburn hair._

_"Are you Henry Warnimont?" the Asian man asked in a tone that hinted at danger._

_"Uh...why, yes," replied Henry, still stunned by the two men's presence. "What do you want with me?"_

_"Oh, it isn't _you_ we want," the auburn-haired man replied, shaking his head. "We want the kid," he continued, pointing directly at Punky, who widen her eyes and gasped in horror. Brandon growled angrily at the two strangers on Henry's doorstep._

_"Now you see here, whoever you are," said Henry sternly. "Nobody is taking my daughter away from me, not while I'm still standing."_

_The Asian man laughed darkly at Henry's remark. "Well, we'll just have to fix that," he declared. He held up his left arm and chopped Henry in the neck. Henry gasped, and his eyes widened before they closed. He fell to the ground in a coma._

_Punky screamed in fear at what had happened to her foster father. She quickly went to him as more tears came down her face. "No, Henry," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please wake up. Don't go to sleep on me. Please, Henry. _Please_ wake up."_

_"Don't you worry none, Punky Brewster," the auburn-haired man said as he smiled evilly. "Henry's fine. He's just stunned, that's all."_

_"H-h-how do you know who I am?" Punky asked in fear._

_"Oh, we run all kinds of information on foster kids. Where we come from, we simply just have to paralyze unwarranted baggage."_

_At the words "unwarranted baggage," something inside of Punky had snapped. Anger had replaced her fear instantly. She stood up and faced the two men with a dark look. "Henry is _not_ unwarranted baggage," she snarled. "He's the best foster father I've ever had. I'll never forgive you creeps for what you've done to him."_

_"I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, young lady," insisted the Asian man. "You have no choice or no say in the matter."_

_Brandon jumped at Punky's defense. He barked loudly to indicate that no harm would come to his best friend._

_"Outta the way, mutt," spat the auburn-haired man. He pulled out a tranquilizer gun from his left holster and shot a dart at Brandon, and in an instant, the dog was dosed with drowsiness. He fell asleep on all four paws._

_"Brandon!" shouted Punky, turning to her loyal companion. She then turned back to the two strangers and allowed her anger to take over. "You'll never take me alive. You hear me?" she growled, spoiling for a fight. "I'm not going anywhere with you."_

_"Like I said, you don't have a say or a choice in the matter," warned the Asian man. He came up close to Punky, knelt on one knee, and clasped Punky's shoulders very tightly; the girl flinched slightly, her anger still dominating her. "If you won't cooperate with us, we'll take you by force."_

_At that, he performed a powerful pressure point on Punky. Her eyes widened briefly and then closed as unconsciousness now began to overtake her. The Asian man lifted her up and placed her on his back. He stood up himself as he and his partner laughed everything off, and their laughter got louder and louder until everything went white, their laughter echoing from a distance._

* * *

Punky woke up and screamed her lungs out, then stopped. Her face was sweating. She panted from the nightmare she'd just had a nightmare about Henry. It only served to increase her worries for him. What would she tell her friends - that she wouldn't be able to live peacefully as long as social services were around? That she no longer trusted Henry to be by himself? That she'd be doomed to be alone for all eternity? These were questions that ran through her mind. She got a look at her surroundings. What she saw was not her bedroom in Henry's apartment home, but some kind of guest room in a _different_ home. It had a tannish color to it. There were two doors without knobs on either side of the room as well as a door with handles. On top of the ceiling, Punky look at what was apparently the light turned off. She saw a mirror on the right side that also had a stand. Punky noticed that the bed she had slept and was covered in was very comfortable, and that her vest was on the mirror stand and her shoes beneath said stand. Another thing she noticed was that Brandon was with her, having awakened from her screaming. Yet _another_ thing Punky noticed was that it was nighttime outside.

The door on the right automatically opened up to reveal four adults with cat-like characteristics as the fur on their bodies and fangs in their mouths demonstrated. The leader of the group was a red-maned, hazel-eyed male lion in a sky-blue tunic, his belt and boots a regular blue. Attached to his left thigh was a golden paw-like shield that housed a dagger's hilt with a cat-eyed red orb. To his left were an amber-eyed, orange male tiger in a sea-green jumpsuit and a pink-eyed woman in an orange leotard whose spotted golden hair and bare, spotted right shoulder indicated her as a cheetah; she had orange markings around her eyes and wore red lipstick, two silver rings on her right wrist, and on her left wrist she wore a brown gauntlet that held a golden baton. To the lion's right side was a bald, peach-eyed, male grey panther whose tunic and baggy shoes were blue and whose suspenders had spikes on them. On their chests and trousers, the group each wore the symbol of a red circle sporting a black cat's head. They all sported muscular builds, the female cheetah less so than her male comrades. Brandon jumped off Punky's bed and growled fiercely at the four strangers before him and Punky.

Punky stared blankly at the strangers, looking from left to right as if they were going to harm her. All she could manage, in a bare whisper, was, "Holy Macanoli..." It was a phrase she used often whenever she was surprised by something or someone. In this case, it was a group of _someones_.

"It's okay," the lion said to Punky and Brandon. "We're not gonna hurt you. My friends and I found you and yours near the Bottomless Chasm." Brandon stopped growling but didn't lower his guard.

"My friends," Punky said, suddenly thinking of Alllen, Cherie, Margaux, and Glomer. She asked the strangers, "What happened to them? Do you know where they are? I have to find them."

"I'm sorry, young one. Not in the condition you're in," replied the tiger. "You all suffered from the effects of that portal, which put you in a deep sleep. I suppose from your screaming that you've recovered first. But if you'd like to know, your friends are in two more guest rooms. Snarf and the ThunderKittens are watching to see if they'll wake up too."

"Well, who are you guys? And, where am I?"

"I'm Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats," answered the lion, and he gestured to his comrades. "These are Tygra, Cheetara, and Panthro. You and your friends are inside our stronghold, the Cat's Lair."

"'Cat's Lair'?" repeated Punky, and she gulped, suddenly realizing the worst. "D-does that mean that...we're inside the mouth of a...g-giant cat?"

The bald one known as Panthro laughed off Punky's words. "No, little one. We're not inside an _actual_ cat. The Cat's Lair is a fortress designed to _resemble_ a cat. It's a fun place once you know your way around it."

Punky sighed, satisfied that Panthro's answer lowered her fears a little. "What a relief."

"What's your name?" asked the woman called Cheetara.

"My name is Punky Brewster. I come from Chicago, Illinois. I live with my foster father, Henry Warnimont."

At the mention of "foster father" - or at least the word "father" - Lion-O's heart sank. He seemed to be thinking about how he never got to know his own father when he was but a cub. The tiger known as Tygra jogged Lion-O out of his daydream by elbowing him gently.

"Are you alright, Lion-O?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine. I...I sort of lost myself for a moment," replied the ThunderCat Lord quickly. Tygra chose to leave it at that as he, Lion-O, Cheetara, and Panthro still had to contend with Punky.

"I'm afraid we don't know any place called 'Chicago Illinois,'" confessed Cheetara. "Care to elaborate?"

"Chicago is a city in the state of Illinois. Chicago's a fabulous place with loads of people in it. And as I've said, I live with my foster father," Punky revealed.

Something in Tygra's mind surfaced about the city and state Punky mentioned. He was reminded about First Earth's timeline before it became Second Earth and eventually Third Earth. He knew that he and his fellow ThunderCats were descendants of both Earth cats and the Thunderian bloodline via DNA samples, among other things. It was then he realized that Punky and her team came from another dimension - First Earth. _She's a frightened soul, but her bravery is admirable_, he thought.

"You mean to say that you're an orphan?" inquired Panthro.

"Well, kind of," Punky answered. "My actual parents abandoned me when I was really little, so I had myself and my dog Brandon to rely on. But then I met up with Cherie Benson, and my roster of friends had grown."

"That's really terrible what happened to you," Lion-O sad with sadness in his voice. "No parent should ever leave their children behind." Again, he felt like he never got to know his father when he was a boy back on Thundera.

"Is Cherie the dark-skinned one you're referring to?" Cheetara asked.

"Yeah. That's the one," answered Punky before continuing, "Then my friendship meter got even bigger when Cherie and I met Margaux Kramer and Allen Anderson."

"Ah. You're referring to the girl and boy with golden-colored hair," deduced Tygra, his level-headedness never failing him.

"Of course!" Punky replied excitedly.

"What about that smaller creature that was with you guys when you arrived here?" asked Panthro.

"You mean Glomer? Well, he's a Glomley who comes from Chaundoon, a city at the end of the rainbow. He and his people are magic users."

"This is all very interesting," Tygra said, pondering this encounter with someone who was from a different timeline.

Punky's stomach rumbled, bringing the conversation to an abrupt halt. She clutched her stomach in pain. "Uuuhhh..." she groaned. Brandon's stomach also rumbled, and he had been forced to sit on all four paws, grumbling sadly.

"We'll get you, your dog, and your friends some food and drinks," Lion-O offered. "We'll make sure to talk more in the morning."

"Okay," Punky said weakly. "That sounds good."

The ThunderCats left Punky and Brandon's guest room so they could find Punky and her crew something to eat and drink. The door closed following the ThunderCats' departure, and that left Punky alone with her thoughts. One day she and her friends were at Henry's place, and the next they all landed in a different kind of place. It was just all too sudden for her. All it took was one botched attempt to help Henry to bring her here. Adding to that was the nightmare she had about Henry. She made a mental effort to not tell anyone about it, not even her friends. She didn't know what would happen if she did. More than that, she wondered if she, Cherie, Allen, Margaux, Glomer, and Brandon would ever get home. She wasn't even sure if she should ask Glomer to transport them home only to fail once again. All these thoughts plagued Punky greatly. She hoped that, after her meal and a good night's rest, this would all be a dream. Yes, she figured, allowing herself a smile. She would wake up from all of this in no time.

_It's only a dream...it's only a dream...it's only a dream...it's only a dream..._ Punky mentally repeated those four words, and yet she didn't let herself fall asleep just yet. Brandon also willed himself to stay awake, for although he and Punky were in another dimension, he would never let anything happen to her.

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Well, that's the second chapter for you. Punky finally comes face to face with the ThunderCats as I promised. The explantion of Thundera's destruction and the ThunderCats being descended from Earth cats were lifted from Seth Lockhart's _ThunderCats: Origin_ and _ThunderCats: Exodus II_, his movie-scripted rewrites of "Exodus," the series pilot of ****_ThunderCats_********; you can look up the scripts now on Google by typing "seth lockhart thundercats." **The ThunderKittens' "ThunderSmack" technique is based off the test footage for the now-shelved CGI _ThunderCats_ movie, which is available now on YouTube. The bit with Panthro being dropped into the Bottomless Chasm is from his starring episode, "Spitting Image." You can expect more Punky/ThunderCat interactions in the next chapter, as well as those mean and ugly Mutants. ;)


End file.
